EPTSummary:
- Gaming peripherals will be stored in a Riot-approved secure vault
- You have a 2 hour window past scheduled game time to field a substitute
- Teams cannot be sponsored by Riot Games's competitors
- Locodoco cannot wear a "Fck It, Baylife" shirt while coaching
- Patches will go live for tournament play faster
- You need to notify a player's management before contacting them about team movement
Peripherals Policy (Sections 5.2 and 5.3)
During Worlds 2014, we began the process of scanning player equipment to ensure the competitive integrity of the devices being used on the stage. Although these scans were a good first step, we are transitioning to adding an additional layer of security to the LAN environment that safeguards against the possibility of modifications being made to devices which could jeopardize the fairness of an LCS match.
Starting this year, all peripherals used in the LCS will be stored at the studio:
- Each LCS team will be required to submit two sets of peripherals (two mice and two keyboards) for each player on their Active Roster to the League. One set will be used as the primary set, the other set will be a backup.
- These peripherals will need to be factory-sealed, unopened, brand new devices. Upon receipt, the peripherals will be kept in a secured box onsite and not returned to the players without LCS supervision.
- On LCS days, the following will happen:
- Players’ peripherals will be in stage loading area for player pickup.
- Players will use these peripherals during the match and, upon completion of the match, the peripherals will be returned to the secured location. Players are not to remove their peripherals from the stage loading area.
This will remove any doubt regarding breaks in the chain of ownership, because at no point will these peripherals be outside of LCS supervision. LCS officials will be tasked throughout the year with transporting the peripherals to each venue when we need to travel for events.
We understand that factory-new equipment, even if identical to the model used daily in practice at home, often feels different to players from using broken-in equipment. We’re making accommodations to make players as comfortable as possible with the peripherals including allowing players to test the equipment at the studio before the season begins and transferring keycaps from familiar keyboards to new ones on request.
Substitution Policies (Sections 3.2 and 3.5)
First, all substitutes must be currently ranked at Diamond V or above on the solo queue ranked ladder to be eligible for inclusion on an LCS roster. We want to encourage teams to field serious substitute players and limit the potential abuse of teams registering substitutes just to take advantage of the benefits and privileges of being an LCS team member.
Second, in the event of an emergency, a team will be given up to two hours from the scheduled game start to find an immediate substitute. Our previous policy was teams that could not field a full roster in time for their LCS match had to auto-forfeit. This is a new accommodation that stems from our goal to give teams the opportunity to field a team in the event of a legitimate, short term emergency.
We looked at other possibilities including rescheduling and postponing matches. In any given week, a team undertakes a significant amount of preparation for their upcoming matchups and forcing a reschedule would greatly affect all teams involved. In the interest of fairness, we want to avoid postponing games whenever possible to avoid unfairly burdening opposing teams.
We also explored delaying our broadcast indefinitely to wait for a team to get a replacement, Ultimately, delaying the broadcast beyond two hours puts an unrealistic strain on LCS viewers and the opposing team in studio.
Although we empathize that emergencies such as a player falling ill are very difficult situations, ultimately forfeits are very avoidable if teams have substitutes who are available to relieve players. We have urged team owners to take availability on short notice into account as a criteria when recruiting substitute players for this season.
Sponsorship (Section 3.7.6)
Last season, a game publisher requested to sponsor an LCS team and have that team officially promote a competing game. We communicated to owners that given our goals and investment in growing the LCS, it would be counter-productive if LCS teams and players were sponsored by Riot Games' competitors.
This year, we are transitioning into an official policy for the sake of transparency, since we'd like to be open about our stance on this topic.
The LCS is a core experience for League of Legends players and Riot Games. It serves as a platform for and celebration of some of the very best that League of Legends has to offer. While there are many great games out there -- and we play many of them ourselves -- we don't believe it's in the interest of the LCS to have the League used as an advertising platform by competing games, publishers, etc. To clarify, we are totally cool with LCS pros casually playing and streaming video games of their choice in their free time.
Player and Coach Apparel (Section 5.4)
We’ll be requiring players to wear matching uniforms next season. In addition to leveling up the presentation of the League, uniforms promote team identity and make it easier for long-time fans and newcomers to distinguish between players on different teams (and root for them). We also want to emphasize the professionalism of coaches and distinguish them from players, so Head Coaches will be required to wear at least business casual attire during LCS days.
Competitive Patch (Section 8.4)
In the past, the delay between the live patch and LCS play was two weeks, while new champions and reworks were disabled for one month. After consulting with teams and in an effort to make competitive play align more consistently with what’s available to all players, we are shortening our new champion/rework activation cadence to two weeks. LCS officials still reserve the right to disable a champion or item if there are game-changing bugs.
No Poaching or Tampering (Section 10.2.13)
As seen in some recent rulings, tampering and poaching have been hot-button issues in the LCS. Team Members or Affiliates are currently not allowed to discuss the employment status of Team Members who are signed with other teams in the LCS. Based on feedback from owners and to better address concerns about this issue in the future, we are updating this rule with a process that must be followed to inquire about the status of a team member.
It's currently permissible for management of one team to pursue a player contracted with another team provided that they secure permission from management of that player's team. During the inquiry between management of the two teams wishing to discuss the status of a contracted team member, visibility for LCS officials is now required. This can be accomplished simply by CCing an LCS official in the contact email between management.
Our goal is not to get LCS officials involved in negotiations - that’s between the teams and players. We’re simply there to make sure that if there's a dispute, there is a clear record with a neutral third party (LCS officials) of whether permission was requested and granted.
